Graduation policy, terms and conditions

The Graduations team reserve the right to ask any child (or adult) to leave the auditorium during the ceremony if they are making unnecessary noise or action which is disruptive to the proceedings or to other guests.

Children must also be accompanied at all times and never left unattended.

The period between the publication of results and the ceremonies is often very short, and it is not possible for an appeal to be resolved in time for a change to an award to be made for the ceremony, in the case of a successful appeal.

You may therefore opt either to

1. Attend the graduation ceremony immediately following the publication of your results with the award achieved at the time of results. If the award is subsequently changed on appeal, University records will be amended, and your original certificate will need to be returned before a revised certificate can be issued.
   OR
2. Defer graduation to the following set of ceremonies appropriate for your course by which time the appeal will normally be resolved. If the appeal is successful and a change to the award is made, then you can attend graduation with the revised award and the University's records will be amended.

If deferral is not requested, option 1 will be actioned automatically. You must submit your request by the advertised deadline.

The level of award only (eg. BA(Hons), MA) not the classification (eg. first or second class) is published in the printed graduation brochure available on the day.

The award level and classification are not announced during the ceremony, only the graduate's name.

Graduates and guests should be aware that the graduation ceremonies are regarded as public events. Name and qualifications, but not degree classifications, will be published in the graduation programme. The names and awards printed in the programme are as accurate as possible at the time of going to print.

We are unable to discuss the details of an individual's graduation ceremony with anyone else (relative, friend etc) unless given written permission by the student concerned.

Your contact details will be used by the Kingston University Alumni Association to keep you informed about events, further study and other university-related activities. They will not be passed on to a third party. If you do not wish your data to be used for this purpose please email alumni@kingston.ac.uk including your student ID and ‘unsubscribe' in the subject line.

• Graduates may not normally defer their graduation ceremony, unless they are appealing their mark/award or there are other exceptional circumstances.
• If you wish to defer your graduation ceremony, you must contact the Graduations Team with your reasons for your proposed deferral: graduations@kingston.ac.uk. You may be asked for supporting evidence.
• Deferral requests must be submitted to the Graduations Team before the ticket purchase deadline date.
• It is at the discretion of the Graduations Team as to whether your deferral is accepted. Their decision is final.

If your deferral request is accepted

• Graduates can defer their ceremony no longer than one academic year, i.e. you will be allocated to the next appropriate ceremony, which may not be in the next set of ceremonies.
• The graduate's certificate will not be available at the ceremony they attend. Graduates can request their certificate to be sent to them via the website (if they have not already received it).
• It is the graduate's responsibility to get in touch with the Graduations team about booking tickets for their new ceremony.

In the event of Kingston University graduation ceremonies being cancelled, delayed or postponed due to circumstances beyond the control of the University, including (without limitation:) fire; explosion; terrorist act (or threat of terrorist act); act of God; pandemic; industrial action or dispute involving the University or the venue/s at which the ceremonies and other graduation services are due to be held, the University will not be liable for any losses direct or otherwise incurred by
graduates or their guests.

The name entered on the enrolment form and verified as part of the enrolment procedures, is the one that will appear on a graduation certificate. Your name cannot be changed once your award has been formally agreed by the Programme Assessment Board (PAB) – unless the reasons for that change are considered exceptional. It is the graduate's responsibility to make sure their name is correct before their award has been agreed.

During booking on OSIS you will be asked for guidance on how to pronounce your name - please add details there to assist the ceremony announcer.

If graduates are still receiving their awards on stage, the Graduations Team will do their upmost to allow a graduate arriving late to be presented. However, if the presentation of awards has been completed by the time a graduate arrives, it will not be possible for them to receive their award on stage.

Late arriving guests will be seated in the auditorium but this may be different to what the tickets state or where other guests are located to minimise disruption to the ceremony.

Graduates and guests who attend Kingston University graduation ceremonies give their consent to the recording and transmission of their images (still and moving) for Kingston University publicity purposes.

The Graduations Team can only offer a refund in the event of a graduate's award not being achieved in time for their ceremony. Graduates are advised not to purchase any guest tickets not required, as guest tickets are non-refundable and refunds cannot be offered in any other circumstances.

Failure to tell the Graduations Team of special requirements for you or your guest/s may result in those requirements not being able to be accommodated on the day of the ceremony.

Abusive and aggressive behaviour prior to or on the day of your ceremony will not be tolerated by the Graduation Team. Anybody who threatens staff from the University, or staff from our venues and suppliers, with verbal or physical aggression will not be allowed to attend their graduation ceremony or may be evicted from the building.

• The Graduations Team cannot guarantee availability of tickets once the booking deadline has passed. The Graduations Team reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of guest tickets allocated to each ceremony.
• The University cannot be held liable for the cost incurred of any travel arrangements made by graduates or guests if the graduate fails to achieve their award in time for their ceremony and is therefore no longer eligible to attend.
• The Graduations Team cannot be held responsible for any guests that turn up to the ceremony without having purchased a ticket.
• The Graduations Team reserves the right to retract guest tickets should there be a problem with payment. The University also reserves the right to refuse the booking of any graduate.
• Everyone admitted into the auditorium for the ceremony must have a ticket, including babies and young children.